The nation's unemployment rate for February was 8.9%. Michigan's jobless rate has declined steadily since reaching 14.1% in September 2009.

The number of unemployed fell below 500,000 for the first time since November 2008.

The state says job levels have increased since mid-2009 while the numbers of unemployed have fallen. There also are fewer workers active in the state's labor force.

Unemployment benefits do not define the statewide unemployment rate, state officials have told 24 Hour News 8. The rate is based on interviews with what officials calculate to be a representative sample of residents. But if a person who exhausts benefits stops looking for work, he or she does disappear from the ranks of the unemployed.

Jobs OutlookThe W.E.Upjohn Institute , in its West Michigan business outlook, sees employment in West Michigan increasing by 0.8%, about 6500 jobs in 2011. Manufacturing jobs will grow by 0.5% and private service jobs will go up by 1.2%. But the state's budget problems may spill over into job cuts.

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The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange Program of the Water Wonderland MLS, Inc. (WWLX). Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Coldwell Banker Schmidt REALTORS are marked with the WWLX logo and the detailed information about said listing includes the listing office.All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither the listing broker(s) nor Coldwell Banker Schmidt REALTORS shall be responsible for any typographical errors, is information, misprints, and shall be held totally harmless.

The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange Program (IDX) of the Paul Bunyan Board of REALTORS®. The listings displayed are from MLS Participants of the Wexford/Missaukee MLS Database, as so designated, who have chosen to participate in Paul Bunyan Board of REALTORS® IDX Service, through its subsidiary corporation, Paul Bunyan MLS, Inc. The detailed information about said listings includes the listing office information.The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither the listing broker(s) nor Paul Bunyan Board of REALTORS® or its MLS Service, Paul Bunyan MLS, Inc., represented through display of data taken from either of its MLS databases, Wexford/Missaukee or Ros Co, shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints, and shall be held totally harmless.Paul Bunyan Board of REALTORS®, Paul Bunyan MLS, Inc. All rights reserved.

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